Receiver



N0. 6l6,255. Patented Dec. 20, I898.

C. F; PIKE.

R'EGEEVEB APPLIANCE FOR PNEUMATIODESPATGH TUBE SYSTEMS.

v (Application filed June 5, 1895.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheat I m:scams r zfzns cu, PHOTO-LITKDU WASHINGTON, u. c.

No. 6|6, 255. Patented Dec. 20, I898. C. F. PIKE.

RECEIVER APPLIANCE FOB PNEUMATIC DESPATCH TUBE SYSTEMS.

(Application filed June 5, 1895.)

(N0 Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2- mammals PETERS cc. PNOTD-L'YHQ, wAsHmGmN,n c

N0. .6|6,255. Patent-ed Dec. 20, I898. B. F. PIKE.

RECEIVER APPLIANCE FbR PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE SYSTEMS.

' (Application filed. June 5, 1895.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WWW, 65244. a 0% y 52/ 9. m, Q PQkK.

No. 616,255. A Patented Dec. 20, I898. C. F. PIKE.

RECEIVER APPLIANCE FOR PNEUMATIC D ESPATCH TUBE SYSTEMS.

. (Application-filed. June 5, 1895.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

ff iz n4: News PEYERS co, PHOYO-LITNQ" WASHINGTON. u. c.

No. 6l6,255. Patented Dec. 20, I898. C, F. PIKE.

RECEIVER APPLIANCE FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATCH TUBE SYSTEMS.

(Application filed June 5, 1895. (No Model.) 7 Sheets-$heet 5.-

No. 6I6,255. Patented Dec. 20, I898. c. r. PIKE.

RECEIVER APPLIANCE FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE SYSTEMS (Applicationfiled. June 5, 1895.),

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet T Fig 9 III |III 7 1 2 8 TI I 8 7 1 g 8 G In;H 1

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cams Parana co noroumc WASHINGYON. u c,

No. 6I6,255. Patented Dec. 20, 1898.

C. F. PIKE.

' RECEIVER APPLIANCE FOB PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE SYSTEMS.

(Application filed June 5, 1895.) (No llpdel.) 7 Sheen-Sheet 7.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

UNITED STATES PNEUMATIC DESPATCH COMPANY,

NEIV JERSEY.

OF BURLINGTON,

RECEIVER APPLIANCE FOR PNEUMATlC-DESPAICH=TUBE SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,25 5, datedDecember 20, 1898. Application filed Jute 5,1895. Serial No. 551,803.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES F. PIKE, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inReceiver Appliances for Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Systems, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the ac- IOcompanying drawings.

Myinvention has relation to pneumatic-despatch-tube receivers, andparticularly to that form of the samecomposed of a cluster or n umber ofreceivers for a main or sub station,

I 5 the receivers of each cluster being separate from each other andhaving separate tube or other connection with the main or branch line,from which they receive the carriers, and other common or separateconnection with the transmitter devices of said stations.

My invention has for its objects, first, the arrangement of switches atthe junctions of the receiver inlet-tubes or connections with the mainorbranch tubes and actuating mech- 2 5 anism therefor controlled by theincoming carriers, as described and claimed in anotherconcurrently-pending application filed by me, Serial No. 551,214, orotherwise, as may be desired,for automatically diverting the switches 0as they pass to the different receivers in order that each successiveincoming carrier will enter a different receiver which is empty and Inot travel to one in which there is a carrier, thereby avoiding alldanger of collision of 3 5 carriers at the receiver-stations, and,second, to provide for easy and rapid receiving and transmitting of thecarriers to and from a station and for correspondingly filling andemptying the carriers at the stations; and to this end I provideskeleton run-arounds or loops from the exit end of the receivers to theinlet end of the transmitter of a station, which skeleton run-aroundspermit the carriers to remain on the track of the system 5 while beingemptied and filled.

My invention accordingly consists of the combinations, constructions,and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter more particularly describedand claimed.

I will here premise that my improvements are applicable topneumatic-tube systems having a smooth bore and corresponding cylindersor carriers as well as to those systems having track rails or grooves.In the drawings I have shown the tubes having upper and lower groovesfor wheel-supported carriers and a skeleton form of track-groovesbetween the exit end of the main or branch tube and the receivers.

Reference is had to the accompanying 6o drawings, wherein Figure 1 is aplan showing a receiver end and a transmitter end of apneumatic-despatch-tube system with multiple receivers havingtrack-groove connection with the exit end of the tube and with thetransmitter for the opposite end of the tube, the switches at thejunction of the track-grooves for the receivers being indicateddiagrammatically. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are plan Views showing the lowertrack-groove connections for the difierent receivers and the switches atthe junctions. The actuating mechanism therefor is not illustrated, asit forms no part of my invention. Fig. 6 is a plan of switch f, g, or hset for the straight groove. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section of thesame. Figs. 8 and 9 are similar views with the switch set for the curvedgroove. Fig. 10 is a view showing the lock. Fig. 11 is an elevation,partly broken away, of the switches Z, m, n, and 0. Fig. 12 is a planwith rails broken away. Fig. 13 is a similar view showing switches.

A represents the exit end of a despatchtube, from which the carriersemerge and pass to the difierent receivers B, O, D, and E, of which anydesired number may be used, as the requirements of service demand.

A is the inlet or transmitter end of the tube system, which is providedwith a gate or otherwise, as desired. The said receivers havetrack-groove connections I), 0, (Z, and 6, respectively, with the tubeend A, or some of said connections may run into one another, asshown'for b and 0. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.) From the exit end ofsaid receivers are the skeleton run-arounds or loops 1), c,

d, and 6, respectively, with track-grooves G,

leading to transmitter device F. Some of the skeleton run-arounds orloops may join each other, as indicated for I) c and e d, and terminatein the branches G G G G, which reunite in F.

At the junction of the track-grooves c and e are the switches f, 72 and9, representing corresponding switches at thejunctions of thetrack-grooves b and c and d and 6, respectively.

m, n, Z, and 0 represent switches at the j unctions of the track-groovesand the run-around loops 1) and b, c and c, d and d, and e and 6,respectively. Both the top and bottom trackgrooves for said receiversand switch equipment therefor are alike, and the description of oneanswers for both.

The switchesf, g, and h are shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 in theirdifferent positions to direct the carriers to the receivers B, C, D, andE. I will first describe the action of the switches f, g, and It, all ofwhich are alike. Each is composed of the oscillating tongue 1, securedto the pin 2, which is free to move in the hub (See more plainly Figs.6, 7, 8, and 9.) To the opposite end of the pin 2 is secured the arm 4.

5 is the trip-pin lever, which is pivoted at 6 and is provided with thetrips 7 and 8. Said trips extend through the slots 9 and 10 into thepath of the wheels of the carrier. The tripping-lever 5 is also providedwith the slotted arm 11, which engages with the arm 4:.

The operation is as follows: When the switch is in the position shown inFigs. 6 and 7, to direct the carrier into the straight groove the trip 7is raised into the path of the wheels of the carrier. In the plan, todesignate when the trip is in the raised position, it is entirely black.When in the depressed position, it is in outline. Vhen the carrierpasses, its wheels depress the trip 7, causing the tripping-lever 5 tooscillate to the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The slotted arm 11,being engaged with the arm 4:, carries it to oscillate the pin 2 and thetongue 1 to carry the switch to the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9, orsetting it to guide the carrier into the curved groove, and the trip 8is raised up into the path of the wheel of the carrier in the curvedgroove. \Vhen a carrier passes, the trip Sis depressed and the switch isrestored to the position shown in Fig. 7. It will be seen that theswitch is composed of upper and lower parts of the same construction.

In Fig. 10 is shown the lock to prevent the switch being moved from aset position by any jar, and consists of the two springs 12 12, againstwhich the arm 4 is pressed to secure it in position.

The switches m, 72, Z, and 0, Figs. 11, 12, and 13, are the same inconstruction, and consist of the tongue f, secured to the pin f, at theopposite end of which is secured the arm f and is held in the positionshown in Fig. 12 by the spring f lVhen the wheel of the carrier comes incontact with the tongue f, it

forces it over to the position shown in Fig. 13 and passes by into thereceiver. The spring then contracts and restores the tongue to itsformer position to guide the carrier into the skeleton run-around as itcomes out of the receiver, which is at an angle to cause the carrier topass out.

The operation is as follows: The switches being in the position shown inFig. 2, the carrier as it merges from the end of the tube A is directedby the tongue 1 of the switch f into groove 0, Where it comes in contactwith its tripper 8, reversing the switch f. Then continuing on itscourse it is prevented from continuing in groove 0 and is diverted bytongue 1 of the switch 9 into groove 1), and then coming in contact withits tripper 8 the switch g is reversed. The carrier then opens theswitch m and passes on and into the receiver B, where it is brought to astop by the compression of air. The receiver being at an angle, as shownin Fig. 11, the carrier passes out by means of gravity. The switch m,having been restored to its normal position, guides the carrier into therun-around b,'when the attendant runs it around to one of the branchesG, where it can be unloaded, and when again loaded it is run onto thetrack F and into the receiver A to be despatched. The action of thefirst carrier left the switches, as shown in Fig. 3, for the secondcarrier, which is prevented from entering the groovesc orb by the tongue1 of switch f, and therefore passes along the groove 6, coming in withits tripper 7 and reverses the switch f. Arriving at the junction of thegrooves 01 and 6, it is directed by the switch h into the groove (1,where it comes in contact with the tripper 8, reversing the switch h,and continuing on, it opens the switchl and enters the receiverD, whereit is brought to a stop. The switch Z, having returned to its normalposition, directs the carrier as it emerges from the receiver D into therun-around d, Where the attendant takes it in charge. The second carrierleaves the switches as shown in Fig. 4. The third carrier to arrive isdirected by the switch f into the groove 0, where it comes in contactwith tripper 8, reversing the switch f. The carrieris prevented fromentering the groove 1) by the switch g, and continuing on in the groove0 opens the switch 17, and enters the receiver C, where it is brought toa standstill, and as it emerges from the receiver C is directed by theswitch 02 into the run-around o, where it is taken care of by theattendant. The third carrier left the switches as shown in Fig. 5. Thefourth carrier is prevented from entering the groove 0 by the switch fand continuing along tube 6 comes in contact with tripper 7, reversingswitch f, and proceeding is prevented from entering groove d by theswitch h, which it also reverses by coming in contact with its tripper7, and then passing on opens switch 0 and enters the receiver E, whereit is brought to a standstill, and on emerging from said receiver it isdirected by the switch 0 into the run-around e, leaving the switches inthe same'position as shown in Fig. 2, or set to direct the next arrivingcarrier into receiver B, the carriers having entered the receivers B, D,C, and E. Thus it will be seen that each arriving carrier sets theswitches to direct the following carrier into a different receiver,thereby avoiding any possibility of a collision.

have shown a tongue-switch; but any form of switch desired may be used,as well as any number of receivers.

It is obvious that the construction and arrangement of the parts may begreatly varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

' Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secureby Letters Pat out is 1. A pneumatic-despatch-tube system hav in gtransmitting and receiving ends, a cluster of receivers at any onereceiver end provided with grooved track connections with thetransmitter thereof, switches automatically controlled by thesuccessively-arriving carriers for diverting them alternately to theseparate receivers that compose the cluster, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with station outlet and inlet ends of a pneumatictube, a number of receivers having communication with said inlet andoutlet ends, switches and actuating mechanism therefor, whereby each ofthe following carriers from the outlet end of the tube is diverted toand'comes to rest in its respective receiver, substantially as setforth.

8. In combination with a pneumatic de= spatch-tube system having outletand inlet ends, a skeleton run-around leading from an outlet end to aninlet end, a cluster of receivers, switches and actuating mechanism todirect the carriers into and out of the separate receivers of thecluster as the carriers emerge from the outlet end and traverse theskeleton run-around, substantially as set forth.

4:. In combination with the'inlet and outlet ends of apneumatic-despatch-tube system, a number of receivers having connectionwith a single outlet end provided with switches and actuating mechanismfor said switches,whereby as the carriers emerge from the outlet end ofsaid tube they are respectively diverted to different receiverssubstantially as set forth.

5. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system having transmitting and receivingtube ends and a cluster of receivers provided with groove or trackconnection, a switch composed of upper and lower symmetrical partslocated at the junction of the tracks or grooves which lead to difierentreceivers and a pivoted lever having trips at each of its endsprojecting into the path of the carrier to cause the car= rier to setsaid switch substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed mysignature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES F. PIIiEA \Vitnessesz' THos. S. RODGERS, J oHN H. HUnsoN.

